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Year Abroad

Module description

Having progressed your early Arabic learning at IAIS, you will spend one academic year in an Arabic-speaking country. There you will advance your knowledge of grammar and syntax, as well as reading, writing, speaking and listening. You will also learn a dialect of Arabic. The year abroad is an excellent opportunity for you to immerse yourself in an Arabic-speaking environment and to gain first-hand experience of Arab society and culture. It is a great opportunity for you to interact with Arabic-speakers and to become fluent in an Arabic dialect. The experience you gain from studying abroad will feed into your subsequent Arabic study at IAIS. During the year abroad you will be supported in your studies by both colleagues in the study abroad institution and by IAIS colleagues who will be in close contact with you there and may visit you. The Module Convenor will act as your named IAIS contact. There will be scheduled regular (usually at least fortnightly) contact with IAIS colleagues by e-mail and/or internet communications. The pre-requisites are successful completion of ARA1033A and ARA1033B (Elementary Arabic Language) with a grade average of 50 or higher.

There are 120 credits associated specifically with the year abroad, and students need to ‘pass’ the year abroad to progress to year 3.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aims of this module are to advance your knowledge of Arabic grammar and syntax as well as reading, writing, speaking and listening skills through a wide range of authentic Arabic texts, to facilitate your acquisition of a spoken dialect of Arabic, and to immerse you in first-hand experience of Arab society and culture. This is done via Arabic language teaching, a media project as well as a work placement towards the end of your stay.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. read and understand a variety of Arabic texts including a range of linguistic styles such as in literature, poetry, religious texts and media; and demonstrate the ability to communicate in a spoken Arabic dialect and compose spoken and written Arabic using correct grammar
• 2. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the institutional and political context of at least one type of organization working in the Middle East

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Demonstrate fluency in a spoken Arabic dialect and identify, describe and use a range of linguistic forms and structures in writing and in conversation;
• 4. Demonstrate that you have assimilated information about another culture and have experienced at first hand the cultural and social aspects of an Arab country;
• 5. Collate, analyse and assess material from a range of sources, including primary sources (where relevant); and understand and use relevant terminology, and handle different approaches in the field;

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. Adapt to living in a new environment and confidence in the use of a foreign language.
• 7. Work independently and organise your own time to produce a substantial piece of research to a deadline and demonstrate time management skills through independent study, as well as working in pairs and groups in conversation and on text-based work;

Syllabus plan

The syllabus is set by host institutions and approved by IAIS. Assessment is conducted by host institutions and reported to IAIS. This may include coursework assignments and/or end of term exams.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

If required a student will be offered a referred or deferred examination at the IAIS in August/September. The papers for the referred/deferred examinations will be set by the host institution and marked by IAIS (This includes oral, listening and written examinations). In cases of failure, students may be asked to withdraw from the programme, repeat the year abroad at their own expense, or potentially transfer to a three year degree programme.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Set by host institutions.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

 ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

Key words search

Arabic Year Abroad